Apparatus for Domestic Use to Preserve Food, by Changing the Atmosphere in a Food Package

ABSTRACT

The invention relates to a device ( 1 ) arranged to bring about a decreased degradation of food placed in an gas tight food package ( 5, 45, 49 ), the device comprising a gas conductor ( 7, 39 ) adapted to be connected between a gas supply ( 9   a   , 9   b ) and the food package ( 5, 45, 49 ) for changing the composition of the gas inside the food package ( 5, 45, 49 ) to a composition with food preserving qualities. The invention also relates to a use of such a device ( 1 ).

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a device arranged to bring about adecreased degradation of food placed in a gastight food package.

The device comprises a gas conductor adapted to be connected between atleast one gas supply and the food package for changing the compositionof the gas inside the food package to a composition with food preservingqualities.

PRIOR ART

Food may deteriorate due to several different mechanisms, such asbacterial growth, oxidation of fats, dehydration, mould etc. One methodused within the food industry to prolong the durability of foods is tostore the food in a gastight package and to change the composition ofthe gas surrounding the food to a gas with food pre-serving qualities.Such gases usually comprise mixtures of N₂, O₂ and CO₂ with variouscontents depending on the food. The mechanisms behind food preservationare well known in the art. For short it can be mentioned that N₂ isusually used as an inert gas for reducing the presence of other gases,such as oxygen, CO₂ dissolves in the water bound in food forming carbonacid, which lowers pH and decrease growth of bacteria and mould, and O₂is used to reduce browning of for example meat.

Several methods and devices for preserving foods by changing thecomposition of the gas surrounding the food are known. In DE 2005 062962 A1, storage of pastries in an oxygen free atmosphere in gas-tighthousings is shown. In JP 01153038 storage of mushrooms in containerswith a mixture of CO₂, N₂ and air is shown, wherein the container isplaced in a cold reserving chamber and the container further comprises aselectively gas permeable membrane for controlling the composition ofthe gas. In US 2006/0127554 A1 a method for removing oxidants fromliquids is shown, wherein the liquid is first fed with a reactive gas,which is then replaced with an inert gas.

Common for these methods and devices is that they are fairly complicatedand therefore demand skilled operators when used. A correct gascomposition must be selected depending on the type of food in order tooptimize the storage time. Furthermore, the methods involve gases storedunder high-pressure conditions, demanding both handling skill and heavyinvestments. The method of using a food preserving gas has thereforeprimarily been used by food producers while packing foods for shipmentto stores, in order to increase the time available for delivery andmarketing of the product.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

One object of the present invention is to further decrease thedegradation of foods in order to increase the time available beforeconsumption.

This object is achieved with the device according to the preamble ofclaim 1, which comprises a gas conductor adapted to be connected betweenat least a first gas supply and the food package for changing thecomposition of the gas inside the food package to a composition withfood preserving qualities, and which is characterized in that the deviceis adapted to be positionable and usable in a kitchen.

Thus a consumer, and not only the industrial food producers, may storefood in a food preserving atmosphere, wherein the durability of the foodis increased considerably. Normal consumer behaviour concerning thehandling of foods comprises that the consumer opens a food package,either for direct consumption or for cooking, which simultaneously letout any food preservative gas, and then continues to store either orboth of the unused food or its cooked counterpart. Hitherto, most foodshave been well preserved in an unopened package, but as soon as aconsumer breaks the seal the food degrades swiftly, even if stored in arefrigerator or freezer. By using the device according to the inventionthe consumer may store food from an opened package or cooked food in afood preservative atmosphere, so that at least a part of the longdurability date of an unopened package may be retained.

Apart from a longer durability, the use of food preservative gas by aconsumer also gives the advantage of a slower degradation of nutritioncontent in the food. Another advantage is in the event that the food isto be stored during a longer period than possible in a refrigerator in anormal atmosphere, but not as long as possible in a freezer. This mayhappen for example when preparing food boxes. In this case the consumermay store the food in a food preservative atmosphere in the refrigeratorinstead, so that it is not necessary to freeze the food only to beheated shortly afterwards.

Two main prerequisites for adapting the device for use in a kitchen isthat the device should be user friendly and also sufficiently small, sothat the device may be positionable and used in a kitchen by the kitchenpersonnel. In one embodiment of the invention the device is adapted forhousehold use, wherein the device is adapted in size, weight and shapeso that the device is positionable and usable in a household kitchen.The device should then be user friendly and also sufficiently small, sothat the device may be positionable and used in a household kitchen by anormal consumer. In another embodiment of the invention the device isadapted for use in a restaurant, wherein the device is adapted in size,weight and shape so that the device is positionable and usable in arestaurant kitchen.

According to one embodiment the device comprises a gas mixture selectorarranged to induce the device to select one of at least two predefinedgas compositions for filling the food package. Preferably the device isarranged to allow selection of one of at least three pre-defined gascompositions for filling the food package. Preferably, each predefinedgas composition is designed for preserving a specific type of food. Thusthe device is adapted for filling a food package with different gasmixtures depending on the food placed in the package. Different types offoods include, but are not limited to, meat, vegetables, and pastries.According to one embodiment the gas mixture selector furthermorepresents information indicating the type of food preserved by thepresently selected composition to a user. Hence the user need not beskilled in the art of food preserving gases, but only needs to selectthe type of food in the food package and the device is adapted to fillthe food package with a gas with the proper composition. Kitchenpersonnel or a normal consumer is un-skilled in comparison with askilled worker within the food industry, and thus the device is herebyadapted to be used by a user without any training in the field ofpreservative gases. Preferably, but not necessarily, the device isarranged to allow selection of one of at the most twenty such predefinedgas compositions, in order not to confuse the consumer.

Preferably the device is also adapted to be manually operated.Preferably, the device is arranged for the consumer to manually connectand disconnect the conductor to the food package. Preferably, the deviceis also arranged for the consumer to manually select a gas mixture andto induce the device to begin the gas filling sequence. Automatedoperation usually gives a higher filling rate, but also makes the devicemore cumbersome, and also puts higher demands on training. A deviceadapted for household use has not the same need of a high productionrate, and thus a manually operated device is advantageous. Hence, thedevice is preferably adapted so that the capacity of the device is lowerthan within the food industry. According to one embodiment the device isadapted for filling food packages in batches. Preferably the batch sizeis no more than three food packages simultaneously, and preferably nomore than one food package per batch. In one embodiment the device isalso arranged to be limited for filling food packages having a maximumvolume of about 5 litres.

Preferably the device is adapted for household use in that the device isadapted in size, weight and shape so that the device is positionable ina household kitchen. Preferably the device is further adapted for use ina kitchen in that the size of the device is restricted so that thedevice is no more than 1 meter in any dimension, preferably no more than85 cm in any dimension. Preferably the device has a width, height anddepth, which is no more than 60 cm. Thus the device may easily bepositioned and used on a kitchen workbench or in a kitchen cupboard.Preferably the device is portable, so that the device may easily bemoved between locations within the kitchen. Preferably the weight of thedevice is no more than 20 kg, preferably no more than 15 kg, and mostpreferably no more than 10 kg. Thus the device may easily be lifted by auser and moved about in the kitchen.

The device is adapted to supply gas having food preservativecharacteristics to the interior of the food package. Preferably thedevice is adapted to fill the food package with a food preservative gascomprising N₂ and CO₂. Possibly, the gas may also contain a smallcontent of O₂, either from a gas supply within the device, or morepreferably, by retaining a small amount of the previous air inside thepackage. Preferably the device is adapted to fill the package with thefood preservative gas so that the gas surrounds the food and occupiesthe space around the food. Thus the gas decreases oxidation of fat andmeat, decreases mould and bacterial growth, and decreases discolouringof the food. Preferably the device is adapted to fill the package withgas up to a gas pressure of at the most 2.5 atmospheres, preferably nomore than 1.5 atmospheres. With food is primarily intended food foreating, such as solid foods and liquid foods as soups. The term food isnot intended to include beverages, even though it may be possible to usethe device for beverages as well.

Preferably the device is shaped into one unit, and preferably alsoadapted to contain the gas supply. Thus there is no need for looseconductors leading from an external gas supply to the device. Preferablythe device is adapted to admit connection of a gas supply in the form ofa gas tube to the device. A gas tube may contain large amounts of gas ina safe manner. Furthermore, it is possible for the user to remove thegas tube from the device and bring only the gas tube to a store forrefilling the gas. Preferably the device is adapted to contain twodifferent gas supplies. Preferably the device is adapted to contain onesupply of N₂ and one supply of CO₂. Preferably the device is shaped sothat the size of the gas tubes is restricted to contain no more than 10litres each, preferably no more than 7 litres each. Hence it is ensuredthat the size of the device is limited, so that the device is adaptedfor use in a restaurant kitchen. Preferably the device is shaped so thatthe size of the gas tubes is restricted to contain no more than 3 litreseach, preferably no more than 1.5 litres, and most preferably no morethan 1 litre each. Hence it is ensured that the size of the device islimited, so that the device is adapted for use in a household kitchen.

According to one embodiment the device comprises a pressure sensoradapted to communicate with and to sense the pressure inside the foodpackage. Preferably the device is adapted to fill the food package basedon signals from the pressure sensor on the present pressure in the foodpackage. The device is preferably adapted to terminate filling of thefood package when the sensed pressure reaches a desired limit. Accordingto one further embodiment the device is adapted to fill the food packagewith a first gas to a first pressure and with a second gas to a secondpressure to form a desired mixture of gases. By using information on thefirst and second pressures the proportion of the first gas relative tothe second gas may be estimated, so that the device may fill the foodpackage with the proper gas composition in an efficient and simplemanner.

According to one embodiment the device is adapted for removing gas frominside the food package prior to supplying a food preservative gas tothe food package. The package is most likely filled with air beforetreatment, and removal of the air will also remove oxygen from theinterior of the package. This is important since many of the degradingprocesses in food are directly related to oxygen content. Also, not asmuch new food preservative gas is needed for filling the food package toobtain the desired compositions, and overpressure is avoided. In oneembodiment at least some of the gas in the package may be removed byflushing the package with new gas.

In one embodiment the device comprises a suction member arranged toreduce the air pressure inside the food package by use of negativepressure before filling the food package with food preservative gas.Thus there will be less waste of the food preserving gas, which willreduce costs. In one embodiment the suction member comprises a gas pumpor gas fan, such as an electrical fan, for removal of the gas. Inanother embodiment the suction member comprises a by-pass conductoradapted to conduct gas from a gas supply to the surroundings, and aconnection conductor adapted to be connected between the by-passconductor and the interior of the food package, wherein the flow of gasthrough the by-pass conductor creates a negative pressure inside thefood package. This ensures an inexpensive way of creating a negativepressure.

According to one embodiment the device is adapted to remove air frominside the food package to a specified pressure so as to retain adesired amount of O₂ inside the food package. For some types of food asmall amount of oxygen is desired. By retaining a desired air pressurein the food package a desired amount of oxygen will be retained in thepackage. By subsequent filling with other food preservative gases, theproportion of oxygen will be reduced to the desired proportion.

According to a further embodiment the device is adapted to fill the foodpackage with gas after a first removal of air from the food package, andthen to remove the produced gas mixture at least a second time from thefood package in order to further reduce the content of O₂. In case thefirst removal of air from the package cannot be performed to the desiredlevel, a refill and a second removal of gas from the package may beperformed to further reduce the oxygen content.

According to one embodiment the device comprises an on/off-valvearranged to control the gas flow through the gas conductor. Anon/off-valve is much less expensive than valves allowing a continuousrange of gas flows. Thus, the use of an on/off-valve reduces the priceand complexity of the device considerably. The use of an on/off-valve ispossible since a device adapted for household use does not need to filla food package with an exact and optimized gas composition, which is ina much higher demand within the food industry. Thus it is possible touse the on/off-valve, even though the valve gives less control over thegas composition. An on/off-valve is also easily operated, which is anadvantage since the device is adapted to be used by unskilled users.

According to one embodiment the device comprises a pressure reducingvalve adapted to admit a flow of gas through the pressure reducingvalve, such that the gas pressure after the pressure reducing valve isreduced to a gas pressure below a limit gas pressure. Thus, regardlessof the present pressure in the gas supply, the same pressure will beobtained in the location after the pressure reducing valve. Hence thegas flow passing through the pressure reducing valve will also besubstantially constant, wherein it is simple to appreciate the amount ofgas transferred to the food package. This is important for instance if aparticular mix of gases is desired. In particular, a pressure reducingvalve is advantageous in case of a gas supply in the form of gas tubes,having varying pressure depending on depletion of the tubes.

In another embodiment the device comprises a valve provided with atleast one main opening and at least two sub-openings, wherein the valveis arranged to selectively allow communication between the main openingand one of the at least two sub-openings. Thus it is possible to directthe gas flow between different conductors. Preferably the valve isarranged to allow selective communication between the food package andone of at least two gas supplies at the time, wherein it is simple toestimate and control the gas mixture inside the food package.

Preferably the conductor is adapted to be connectable and disconnectablewith the food package. Preferably the conductor comprises a mouthpieceadapted to gastightly fit with the food package. Preferably the foodpackage comprises a connecting element for connecting with themouthpiece, which connecting element is adapted to admit communicationbetween the conductor and the interior of the food package. Preferablythe connection element comprises a valve arranged in the package.

According to one embodiment the device is also arranged for supplyinggas to a beverage container. Preferably the device is arranged forsupplying gas to a bottle of beverage. Thus the device may not onlysupply gas for preserving food, but also for filling a bottle or otherliquid container with gas. Preferably, the device then comprises amouthpiece adapted to be connected with the beverage container, andpreferably a bottle. In one embodiment the device is adapted to supplyN₂ to the container. N₂ may for example be used in order to preservewine, by hindering oxidation of the wine. In another embodiment thedevice is adapted to supply CO₂ to the beverage container. CO₂ may beused for carbonating a liquid, for example in order to make soda water.In a further embodiment the device is adapted for filling a liquidcontainer with N₂ in a first mode of operation and with CO₂ in a secondmode of operation. Thus the device may fill a liquid container with boththese types of gases.

In one embodiment the device is adapted for connection of a first gassupply for supplying N₂ to the food package to the device and the gasconductor. The supply of N₂ may be used both as inert gas for preservingwine and for supplying one constituent for very effective foodpreserving gas mixtures. The function of N₂ in a food preservative gasis as an inert gas as a substitute to the presence of O₂.

In another embodiment the device is adapted for connection of a secondgas supply for supplying CO₂ to the food package to the device and thegas conductor. The supply of CO₂ may be used both for carbonizingbeverages and for supplying one constituent for very effective foodpreserving gas mixtures. The function of CO₂ in food preservative gas isas a poison to most bacteria and mould.

In another embodiment the device is adapted for connection of a gassupply in the form of a gas tube to the device and the conductor. Theuse of gas tubes as a gas supply is advantageous in that the devicebecomes portable and may be positioned freely inside a householdkitchen. Gas tubes are also inexpensive and are easy to use and changewhen empty. The high internal pressure inside the gas tubes may alsodrive the flow of gas through the device. Preferably the device isadapted to contain the gas tubes inside the device. Hence the device canbe moved easily without ensnaring hoses connecting the device withexternal gas tubes.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE ATTACHED DRAWINGS

The invention is now to be described as a non-limiting example of theinvention with reference to the attached drawings.

FIG. 1 a shows a front view of a device according to one example of theinvention.

FIG. 1 b shows a rear view of the device in FIG. 1 a.

FIG. 1 c shows a schematic view of one example of the internalconstruction of the device in FIGS. 1 a-b.

FIG. 1 d shows a schematic view of another example of the internalconstruction of the device in FIGS. 1 a-b.

FIG. 2 shows a conductor with different mouthpieces adapted to differentfood packages.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

In FIGS. 1 a-c one example of a device 1 according to the invention isshown. The device 1 is arranged to bring about a decreased degradationof food 3 placed in a gastight food package 5. To this end the device 1comprises a gas conductor 7 adapted to be connected between a gas supply9 a, 9 b and the food package 5 for changing the composition of the gasinside the food package to a composition with food preserving qualities.Such gases are known in the art, and depend on a plurality of factors,such as the expected storage temperature, the type of food, etc. Ingeneral food preservative gases comprises a mixture of N₂, CO₂, and O₂.

In this example the device 1 is adapted to be used in a kitchen. Inparticular, the device is adapted to be used in a household kitchen. Thedevice is thus adapted in size and shape so that the device ispositionable and usable in the household kitchen. In this example thedevice 1 comprises a housing 11 arranged to contain the device 1. Thehousing 11 is in turn arranged with a shape and size, so that the device1 is positionable in a kitchen, in this example in a household kitchen.In particular the device 1 and housing 11 are shaped so that the deviceis positionable on a kitchen workbench or in a kitchen cupboard.

In this example the size of the device is restricted so that the housing11 is no more than 1 meter in any dimension, preferably no more than 85cm in any dimension, and most preferably no more than 60 cm in anydimension. In this example the housing 11 is shaped 50 cm in height, 40cm in width and 25 cm in depth. Thus the device may easily be positionedand used on a kitchen workbench or stored in a kitchen cupboard. In thisexample the device is further adapted for use in a kitchen in that theweight of the device is no more than 50 kg, preferably no more than 40kg, and most preferably no more than 20 kg. Thus the device may easilybe lifted by a user and moved about in the kitchen. The device may alsoeasily be stored in the kitchen when not in use.

The device 1 is adapted to supply gas having food preservativecharacteristics to the interior of the food package. In this example thedevice 1 is adapted to fill the food package with a food preservativegas comprising N₂ and CO₂. The preservative gas will surround the foodand thus the gas will decrease oxidation of fat and meat, decreasebacterial growth, and decreases discolouring of the food. In thisexample the device is adapted to fill the food package with apreservative gas also comprising a small content of O₂. A small contentof oxygen will decrease purely anaerobic degradation processes. In thisexample the device is arranged to retain some of the air in the packagein order to also retain some oxygen. In another example the device 1 mayinstead comprise an oxygen supply. The device is further arranged tofill the food package with gas up to a pressure of at the most 1.5atmospheres.

The device 1 is adapted to admit connection of at least one gas supplyin the form of a gas tube 9 a, 9 b to the device. The device thuscomprises a gas tube mounting 12 adapted to hold and connect the gastube 9 a, 9 b to the device 1. In this example the device 1 is arrangedto hold and connect two gas tubes 9 a, 9 b to the device 1, so that thedevice may fill the food package with a mixture of two gases. In thisexample the device is arranged to hold and connect one gas tube 9 acontaining N₂ and another gas tube 9 b, containing CO₂. Thus the device1 is arranged to fill the food package with a preservative gascontaining a mixture of at least N₂ and CO₂. The gas tube mounting 11 isadapted to allow removal of the gas tubes 9 a, 9 b, so that the gastubes may be changed or refilled. In this example the device 1 isarranged to comprise the at least one gas tube 9 a, 9 b.

The housing 11 is further shaped to allow harbouring of the gas supply 9a, 9 b inside the housing. In this example the housing 11 is adapted tocontain the gas tubes 9 a, 9 b within the housing. Thus, there is noneed for an external gas supply or any external conductors leading to anexternal gas supply. The device 1 is therefore portable, so that thedevice may easily be moved between locations within the kitchen. The gastubes 9 a, 9 b are arranged to contain no more than 3 litres each, inthis example no more than 1.5 litres. In this example the gas tubes 9 a,9 b are arranged to contain 1 l each. Hence the tubes are small, whereinthe housing 11 can remain small, so that the device is adapted to bepositioned and used in a house-hold kitchen.

The device 1 is arranged to be manually operated, and to fill foodpackages in batches. The batch size is smaller than three food packagessimultaneously, and in this example the device is arranged to fill onlyone food package per batch. In this example the device 1 is alsoarranged to be limited for filling food packages having a maximum volumeof about 5 litres. Thus the device 1 may be small in size.

The device 1 further comprises a fill control 13 arranged to induce thedevice 1 to fill a food package when actuated by a user. In this examplethe fill control 13 comprises a keypad with buttons for con-trolling thedevice. Thus the device is easier to use, so that an un-skilled user mayuse the device. The device further comprises a gas mixture selector 15arranged to induce the device to select one of at least two predefinedgas compositions for filling the package. In this example the gasmixture selector is arranged to allow filling of a food package withfour different gas compositions. Each predefined gas mixture is designedfor preserving a specific type of food. Thus, by selecting the properpredefined gas mixture, a better preservative function may be achieved.Since the gas mixtures are predefined it is not necessary for the userto know anything about the contents or properties of the gas mixtures,but it is sufficient to select a gas composition marked, for example,with the type of food, which is to be packed and preserved.

The device 1 is further arranged for supplying gas to a bottle with abeverage. The beverage may be any type of drinkable liquid suitable tobe surrounded by a gas or having a gas pressed into the beverage. Inthis example the device 1 is in one state adapted to fill a beveragecontainer with CO₂. The gas mixture selector 15 is then simultaneouslyprovided with a selection for a gas mixture predominantly comprisingCO₂-gas. The CO₂ gas is pressed into the beverage so that the beveragebecomes carbonized. In this example the device is further arranged tofill a beverage container with N₂. The gas mixture selector 15 is thensimultaneously provided with a selection for a gas mixture predominantlycomprising N₂-gas. The inert N₂ gas is filled in the space above thebeverage, wherein oxidation of the beverage is prevented. This isparticularly useful for example for wine. Naturally, a bottle may alsobe filled with any of the available pre-defined mixtures of N₂, CO₂ andpossibly also O₂.

In FIG. 1 c one example of the inner construction of the device 1 isshown schematically. The device 1 comprises the two gas supply gas tubes9 a and 9 b, and a conductor 7 for connecting the gas supply tubes withthe package 5, as previously described. The device 1 also comprises afirst gas supply conductor 17 adapted to connect the first gas supply 9a with the conductor 7, and a second gas supply conductor 19, adapted toconnect the second gas supply 9 b with the conductor 7. Hence conductor7 is adapted to conduct the gas from both the first and the second gassupplies 9 a, 9 b to the package 5. In the event that a third or fourthgas supply is added, the device could comprise a corresponding third andfourth gas supply conductors joining into conductor 7.

The device comprises a first pressure reducing valve 21 arranged betweenthe first gas supply 9 a and the first gas supply conductor 17, andadapted to admit a flow of gas through the pressure reducing valve, suchthat the gas pressure after the pressure reducing valve is reduced to agas pressure below a limit gas pressure. The pressure reducing 21 valveis further selected so that the limit gas pressure is lower than the gaspressure of the gas supply, wherein a substantially constant gaspressure is achieved. Thus, regardless of the pre-sent pressure in thegas tube 9 a, the same gas flow will pass through the pressure reducingvalve, meaning that the amount of gas supplied is dependent on timealone. The device 1 further comprises a corresponding second pressurereducing valve 23 arranged between the second gas supply 9 b and thesecond gas supply conductor 19. Hence the partial pressures of both thefirst and the second gases in the conductor 7 are known. Thus thecontents of the gases within the conductor 7 is also known, so that thepackage may be filled with the desired gas mixture. In some instances,the pressure reducing valves 21, 23 will not allow a gas flow when thepressure in the gas supply tubes drops below a certain gas pressure,wherein the gas tubes must be changed or refilled.

The device comprises a first on/off-valve 25 arranged to control the gasflow through the first gas supply conductor 17, and thus also throughthe gas conductor 7. An on/off-valve is much less expensive than aproportional valve, and is also much easier to operate. The device alsocomprises a second on/off-valve 27 arranged to control the gas flowthrough the second gas supply conductor 19, and thus also through thegas conductor 7. The device also comprises a control module 29 arrangedto control the operation, and thus the state, of the two on/off-valves25, 27, and therefore also controls the flow of the gases. The controlmodule 29 is also arranged to control the contents of the differentgases in the mixture of gases, depending on the state of the gasselector 15, by opening the on/off-valves during different lengths oftime.

The device 1 is arranged to reduce the air pressure inside the foodpackage 5 before supplying a food preservative gas to the food package.This reduces the amount of air in the package, and therefore alsounwanted gases present in the air, such as oxygen. Thus a smaller amountof new food preservative gas is needed for filling the food package todesired compositions.

In this example the device 1 comprises a suction member 31 arranged toreduce the air pressure inside the food package. The suction member maycomprise a pump, fan or similar, but in this example the suction membercomprises a by-pass conductor 33 leading gas from a gas supply to thesurroundings, and a connecting conductor 35 connecting the by-passconductor 33 with the conductor 7, so that the by-pass conductor is alsoconnected with the package 5. When letting gas flow through the by-passconductor a negative pressure is created, wherein gas will be removedfrom the package. The device 1 also comprises a by-pass valve 37, forclosing or opening the by-pass conductor. In yet another example the airmay instead be removed from the package by blowing gas into the packageand allowing the previous air in the package escape through a valveprovided in the package, or by some other escape route.

In FIG. 1 d a second, schematic example of the interior workings of thedevice 1 in FIG. 1 a-b is shown. As before, the device 1 comprises firstand second gas supplies 9 a, 9 b arranged on gas supply mountings 12,and connected with first 17 and second 19 conductors via first 21 andsecond 23 pressure reducing valves, respectively. The device furthercomprises a conductor 7 connected with a mouthpiece 53 for connectionwith a food package 5 containing food 3.

The device 1 further comprises a four-way valve 59 provided with a mainopening and three sub-openings. The openings are adapted to be connectedwith one gas conductor each. In this example the first and secondconductors 17, 19 from the gas supplies are connected with onesub-opening each, and the conductor 7 leading to the food package isconnected with the main opening. The four-way valve 59 is arranged toallow selective communication between the main opening and one of thethree sub-openings. Hence the four-way valve is arranged for selectingthe gas for filling the food package 5, by allowing communicationbetween a desired gas supply 9 a, 9 b and the conductor 7. Thus, in afirst state the four-way valve 59 is arrange to allow communicationbetween the first conductor 17 and the conductor 7, allowing filling thefood package with nitrogen, and in a second state between the secondconductor 19 and the conductor 7, allowing filling the food package 5with carbon dioxide.

The device also comprises a suction member 65 in the form of a vacuumpump, and a suction conductor 67 connecting the suction member 65 withthe third sub-opening in the four-way valve 59. In a third state thefour-way valve 59 is arranged to allow communication between theconductor 7 and the suction conductor 67, wherein the suction member 65is arranged to remove gas from the food package 5.

The device 1 also comprises an on/off-valve 60 arranged to allow or shutoff the gas flow through the conductor 7. Thus in a first, open statethe on/off-valve 60 is arranged to allow communication between thedevice 1 and the food package 5, while in a second, closed state theon/off-valve is arranged to prevent communication between the device 1and the food package 5.

The device further comprises a control module 61 arranged to receiveinstructions from a keypad 63, which in turn is adapted to receive inputinstructions from a user. The keypad 63 and the control module 61 areadapted to receive information from the user on the type of food whichis present in the food package to be filled. The control module 61 isarranged to control the operation of the four-way valve 59, theon/off-valve 60, and the suction member 65 based on the receivedinstructions from the keypad 63 and the type of food.

In an alternative example a touch screen could be provided instead of orin conjunction with the keypad 63. A touch screen is adapted to bothdisplay information and to receive input from the user, wherein it maybe more intuitively operated by the user. Preferably the touch screen isarranged to display the type of food best preserved by the presentlyselected predefined gas mixture.

The device also comprises a pressure sensor 69 arranged to sense the gaspressure inside the food package. The control module 61 is furtherarranged to control the operation of the four-way valve 59, theon/off-valve 60, and the suction member 65 based on the signals from thepressure sensor 69. In this example the control module 61 is arranged toturn the filling of the food package with food preservative gas off,when the pressure sensor senses a sufficient pressure in the package 5.

In a first example of operation of the device a user first manuallyconnects the conductor 7 to a food package 5 containing food, which isto be stored in a food preserving atmosphere. Then the user entersinformation in the key-pad 63, for example on the type and/or amount offood in the food package, and then initiates the filling procedure.

Upon reception of the initiation signal the control member 61 selects asuitable mix of gases for filling the food package depending on theentered type of food. The control module then set the four-way valve 59in the third state so as to allow communication between the suctionmember 65 and the food package 5. The control member 61 then set theon/off-valve in the open state to allow communication with the foodpackage 5, and induces the suction member 65 to remove gas from theinterior of the food package. In this example, depending on the desiredoxygen content, the removal is continued until a desired pressure isobtained inside the food package, as sensed by the pressure sensor 69.

The control member 61 then set the four-way valve 59 to the first statefor allowing communication between the food package 5 and the nitrogengas supply 9 a. The food package 5 is filled with nitrogen due to theover-pressure in the gas supply 9 a, and is continued until a desirednitrogen level is reached. The desired nitrogen level may either beestimated based on the time allowed for filling the package, since thepressure reducing valve ensures a substantially constant gas flow, orthe level may be estimated based on the pressure inside the food packageas measured by the pressure sensor 69.

The control member 61 then set the four-way valve 59 to the second statefor allowing communication between the food package 5 and the carbondioxide gas supply 9 b. The food package 5 is then filled with carbondioxide to a desired level depending on the desired gas mix in the samemanner as when filling the package 5 with nitrogen, after which thecontrol member 61 controls the on/off-valve to shut off the conductor 7.The user may then disconnect the conductor 7 from the food package 5 andremove the food package from the device 1.

In a second example of operation of the device, the user specifies atype of food for which low oxygen content is preferred, so that thesuction member is incapable, or has trouble with, reaching the low airpressure needed. After a first removal of air from the package 5 as inthe first example above, the device fills the package 5 with the leastexpensive of the gases available other than oxygen. The device thenremoves the gas mixture from the package a second time. Hence the totalamount of oxygen is lowered. The operation may then proceed with fillingthe package with nitrogen and/or carbon dioxide as required.

In the following table a number of examples of gas mixtures fordifferent types of foods, which are predefined in the device, are given.As discernible from the examples some of the gas mixtures may be usedfor more than one type of food. In order not to confuse the user thecontrol module 61, keypad 63 or touch screen, could then present the gasmixture as three different gas mixtures associated with each food type.Alternatively the types of food having the same gas mixtures may begrouped together and be presented to the user as one single gas mixture.The table is not exhaustive and other gas mixtures for other food typesmay also be included.

TABLE I Examples of food types and preferred preserving gascompositions. Type of food O₂ CO₂ N₂ [%] Fruits and vegetables 2-8  0-20 75-100 Meals and lunchboxes 0-5 30-50 30-60 Prepared meats 0-5 30-5050-70 Prepared poultry and game 0-5 30-50 50-70 Prepared fish andseafood 0-5 30-50 50-70 Raw fish 0-5 40-60 40-60 Hard Cheese 0-5 0-5 95-100 Soft Cheese 0-5 40-50 50-60 Bakery and pastries 0-5  60-100 0-40 Pasta 0-5 40-60 40-60 Dried foods 0-5 0-5  95-100 Liquid food andbeverages 0-5 0-5  95-100

In FIG. 2 a conductor 39 adapted to be connected between at least onegas supply and a food package is shown. The conductor 39 is providedwith a mouthpiece mounting 41 adapted for mounting different types ofmouthpieces onto the conductor 39. Depending on the type and shape ofthe food package or bottle to be filled, different forms of mouthpiecesmay be needed. By providing a mouthpiece mounting 41 the mouthpiece maybe changed into an appropriate mouthpiece.

In FIG. 2 some examples of suitable mouthpieces and correspondingpackages are also shown. A first food-package 45 is box-like and made inhard plastic. The food-package comprises a first valve 47 arranged forreceiving gas and arranged for coupling with a first mouthpiece 43, anda second valve 48 arranged to let gas out of the package when thepressure is above 1.5 atmospheres. The second valve hence functions as asafety valve.

The first mouthpiece 43 is furthermore adapted to be removable from themouthpiece mounting 41. The first mouthpiece is furthermore adapted tofit the first valve 47 on the first food-package 45, and to fill thefood-package with a food preservative gas via the conductor 39. Themouthpiece 43 is thus adapted to admit communication between theconductor 39 and the interior of the food package. In this example themouthpiece 43 comprises a sleeve adapted to snugly fit into a notcharranged round the valve 47, so that the connection between themouthpiece 43 and the first valve 47 is both gastight and secure. Afterfilling the package with food preservative gas the mouthpiece isdisconnected from the valve 47. The mouth-piece may also be disconnectedfrom the mouthpiece mounting 41, in the event that another type offood-package is to be filled.

A second food-package 49 comprises a bag of soft, but thick, plastic, sothat the bag is gastight when closed. A second mouthpiece 51 comprises along snout adapted to be inserted into the bag 49 through its opening.The bag is folded around the snout so that the connection is gastight.Since the desired pressure within the bag is not particularly high, itis possible to obtain a gastight connection by simply folding the bagaround the snout. The bag may be held onto the snout either by hand orwith for example a rubber band. The bag is then filled with gas throughthe mouthpiece 51.

The invention is not limited to the examples shown above, but may bevaried freely within the framework of the following claims. Inparticular, the term conductor is intended to cover all forms ofconductors, chambers, pipes, hoses etc, having the ability to conductgas. The term conductor is also intended to include assemblies ofseveral connected gas conducting pieces. The food package may be made inmetal, plastic, cloth, or any other suitable material, and may be eitherhard or soft and may or may not contain valves. A large number ofdifferent mouthpieces may be conceived for fitting with differentpackages or containers, such as a mouthpiece for connecting with abottle of beverage. The device may contain a gas supply with a readymademixture of food-preservative gas instead of two gas supplies, which needto be mixed. Furthermore the device may contain three or more gassupplies, for example an oxygen supply, and may contain any number ofadditional conductors, valves etc.

1. A device arranged to bring about a decreased degradation of foodplaced in a gastight food package (5, 45, 49), the device comprising agas conductor (7, 39) adapted to be connected between a gas supply (9 a,9 b) and the food package (5, 45, 49) for changing the composition ofthe gas inside the food package (5, 45, 49) to a composition with foodpreserving qualities, characterized in that the device (1) is adapted insize and shape so that the device (1) is positionable and usable in akitchen.
 2. A device according to claim 1, characterized in that thedevice comprises a gas mixture selector (15) arranged to induce thedevice to select one of at least two predefined gas compositions forfilling the food package.
 3. A device according to claim 2,characterized in that each predefined gas composition is designed forpreserving a specific type of food.
 4. A device according to any of theclaims 1-3, characterized in that the device comprises a pressure sensor(69) adapted to communicate with and to sense the pressure inside thefood package (5).
 5. A device according to claim 4, characterized inthat the device is adapted to fill the food package (5) with a first gasto a first pressure and with a second gas to a second pressure to form adesired mixture of gases.
 6. A device according to any of the previousclaims, characterized in that the device (1) is adapted for removing gasfrom inside the food package (5, 45) prior to supplying a foodpreservative gas to the food package, wherein the device comprises asuction member (31) arranged for removing the gas from inside the foodpackage before filling the food package with food preservative gas.
 7. Adevice according to claim 6, characterized in that the suction member(31) comprises a by-pass conductor (33) adapted to conduct gas from agas supply to the surroundings, and a connection conductor (35) adaptedto be connected between the by-pass conductor (33) and the interior ofthe food package (5, 45, 49), wherein the flow of gas through theby-pass conductor creates a negative pressure inside the food package.8. A device according to claims 4 and 6, characterized in that thedevice is adapted to remove air from inside the food package (5) to aspecified pressure so as to retain a desired amount of O₂ inside thefood package.
 9. A device according to claim 8, characterized in thatthe device is adapted to fill the food package with a gas after thefirst removal of air from the food package (5), and then to remove theproduced gas mixture at least a second time from the food package inorder to further reduce the content of O₂.
 10. A device according to anyof the previous claims, characterized in that the device comprises avalve (59) provided with at least one main opening and at least twosub-openings, wherein the valve is arranged to selectively allowcommunication between the main opening and one of the at least twosub-openings.
 11. A device according to any of the previous claims,characterized in that the device (1) comprises an on/off-valve (25, 27)arranged to control the gas flow through the gas conductor (7, 39). 12.A device according to claim 11, characterized in that the devicecomprises a pressure reducing valve (21, 23) adapted to admit a flow ofgas through the pressure reducing valve, such that the gas pressureafter the pressure reducing valve is reduced to a gas pressure below alimit gas pressure.
 13. A device according to any of the previousclaims, characterized in that the device (1) is also arranged to be ableto supply gas to a beverage container.
 14. Use of a device according toclaim 1, characterized in that the device (1) is used in a kitchen forfilling a food package (5, 45, 49) with food preservative gas.
 15. Useof a device according to claim 14, characterized in that the device (1)is used in a restaurant and/or household kitchen for filling a foodpackage (5, 45, 49) with food preservative gas.